Man in Hot Water for Blasting Fireworks Right Near His Dog

Atlanta resident William Scaffidi scared his dog by setting off fireworks on his porch right by the animal this Independence Day. The stunt was captured on cell phone and had been shared on Facebook by his daughter.

Scaffidi has been bombarded with hate mail for what he did, but he claims, "I feel like it’s not reflective of me at all." Dogs, of course, are known for being afraid of fireworks, which makes the incident that much worse.

Scaffidi further claims he wasn't playing a joke on the animal and he wasn't aware the dog, a four-year-old husky mix named Betty Boop, was on the porch. "It wasn’t a prank," he said. "A lot of people say you put the plants there to trap the dog. That’s ridiculous. I didn’t even know the dog was there.”

Betty Boop was not taken by animal control officials because she is healthy. Scaffidi is looking at six months in jail and a $500 fine.